The present invention relates to a perimeter base for an enclosure. More particularly, the invention provides a rigidized perimeter base which may serve as a template for the construction of the enclosure panel walls.
Shower enclosures, often called stalls or cabinets, are in widespread use. Many such enclosures are intended for use in conjunction with one or two existing tiled walls, and therefore provide only the remaining two or three wall panels.
A four-sided enclosure has the advantage that it can be positioned anywhere drainage can be provided, and requires no sealing to existing walls. It is therefore more suitable for erection by the do-it-yourself householder. Shower enclosures are expected to be of pleasing external appearance, and it is most important that water does not leak to its outside.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,789 Heath discloses a three-sided shower stall rigidized by handrails and an external outer brace.
Brown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,444 discloses a shower stall which confines water therein by means of an antechamber disposed at right-angles to the showering area. The conventional door is thus eliminated, but extra space, which may be unavailable, is required.
A shower stall threshold structure is described by Presti in U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,870. The structure requires casting mortar between spacer is a formidable task for the average do-it-yourself handyman.
Powers discloses a method and apparatus for forming a shower base in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,002. The base includes a floor, a drain, and a low water-retaining wall. The water retaining wall includes an inclined insert formed of PVC. No wall panels are included, so the shower base is probably intended for use in combination with a shower curtain.
Shower stalls are not necessarily of rectangular or square shape. Very attractive enclosures may be constructed using curved or angled walls. A further use of such shapes is to make use of an irregular area available. Known methods of erecting irregular-shaped shower enclosures are labor intensive.
The present inventors have disclosed shower stalls in Israel Patents nos. 117 154 and 122 000. The later specification in FIG. 5 shows a shower having curved walls. The present invention is of particular utility for the construction of enclosures of this type.
It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to obviate the disadvantages of prior art methods of shower stall construction and to provide a method which saves time during erection and provides a leak-proof enclosure.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a base profile construction adapted for such purpose.
The present invention achieves the above objects by providing a method for forming an enclosure of the type having a plurality of enclosure panels and at least one door, comprising:
a) providing a first flexible profile element, said profile element having two side walls connected by an axially-extending web dividing said element into an upper channel bounded by a pair of spaced-apart, upwardly extending arms of unequal height, and a lower channel bounded by a pair of spaced-apart downwardly extending legs, each of said legs being provided with an inwardly directed flange for receiving and retaining at least one rigidifying second metallic strip element in said lower channel, said upper arms having inwardly directed interfacing portions for receiving and retaining an enclosure panel inserted therein;
b) providing a metallic strip of a length and configuration commensurate with at least a portion of the walls of the enclosure to be formed;
c) inserting said metallic strip into said lower channel formed in said flexible profile element to form a rigid composite base element of a length and configuration commensurate with the enclosure panels and doors of the enclosure to be formed; and
d) inserting a plurality of enclosure panels in said upper channel between said inwardly directed interfacing portions thereof to form the walls of said enclosure, while further rigidifying said first profile and creating a waterproof seal between said rigid composite base element and a smooth floor surface on which it is erected.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method further comprising positioning a channel filling member along a segment of said upper channel, said member being provided with an upper inclined surface sloping away from a higher external upwardly extending arm of said channel to a lower internal upwardly extending arm of said channel, to form a water-proof seal with the top of said external upwardly extending arm segment.
In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a rigid composite base unit for use in the above method, said unit comprising:
a) a first flexible profile element, said profile element having two side walls connected by an axially-extending web dividing said element into an upper channel bounded by a pair of spaced-apart, upwardly extending arms of unequal height, and a lower channel bounded by a pair of spaced-apart downwardly extending legs, each of said legs being provided with an inwardly directed flange for receiving and retaining at least one rigidifying second metallic strip element in said lower channel, said upper arms having inwardly directed interfacing portions for receiving and retaining an enclosure panel, inserted therein; and
b) a metallic strip of a length and configuration commensurate with at least a portion of the wails of the enclosure to be formed, the arrangement being such that upon insertion of said metallic strip into said lower channel, there is formed a rigid composite base element of a length and configuration commensurate with the enclosure panels and doors of the enclosure to be formed.
In especially preferred embodiments of the present invention said rigid composite base unit is provided in combination with a plurality of enclosure panels inserted in said upper channel for exerting vertical forces on said base unit to rigidify the same and creating a water-proof seal between said enclosure panels, said rigid composite base element and a smooth floor surface on which it is erected.
Yet further embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter.
It will thus be realized that the novel shower enclosure base profile of the present invention serves to act as a template in marking the floor and in preparing the panels for insertion therein. The metal insert rigidities the plastic profile. The lower edge of the shower enclosure doors are above the upper edge of the base profile, which therefore runs continuously, including under the doors without preventing their movement. Continuity of the base profile, even around sharp comers, facilitates leak prevention.
Insertion of the metal strip into the lower part of the flexible profile is readily achieved by squeezing together the upper portion of the profile. The flexible profile can then be locked to prevent inadvertent release of the metal profile by inserting a filling member along a segment of the upper channel, as will be explained.
The base profile can be further stabilized by use of a flexible, and preferably adhesive seal element on a lower face arranged to contact the floor surface on which said base unit rests. Thus leakage under the base profile is prevented.
The invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments with reference to the following illustrative figures so that it may be more fully understood.